The present invention generally relates to a system and a method for delivering media content based on a subscription. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and a method for delivering media content based on a subscription of a first user to a media provider. The subscription from the media provider may be associated with and/or may correspond to the first user. A first terminal of the first user may access and/or may identify a list of media content available from the media provider for consumption by the first user based on the subscription of the first user. The list of media content available may be accessed by, may be viewed on and/or may be displayed by an electronic program guide (hereinafter “EPG”) of the first user. The first user may identify, may access and/or may consume one or more multimedia files in a database of the media provider from the list of media content available. The first user may store one or more multimedia files from the list of media content available in a storage device of the first user.
Alternatively, the first user may access, may view and/or may display the EPG of the first user with a second terminal of a second user. The second terminal may be connected to the media provider via the network for accessing the list of media content available based on the subscription of the first user. The first user may access and/or may consume one or more of the multimedia files from the list of media content available. As a result, the first user and the second user may view and/or may experience one or more multimedia files. The first user may store one or more multimedia files in the storage device of the first user which may be connectable to the second terminal via the network.
It is generally known, for example, that a user may use an output device to display, to access, to consume and/or to view media programming in a location, such as, for example, a home, a school, a library, a conference room, an office and/or the like. The output device may be, for example, a display, a television, a monitor, a projector and/or the like. The media programming is transmitted by, is accessible from and/or is provided from a content provider for transferring the media programming to a terminal connected to the output device. Typically, the content provider is, for example, a broadcast television station, a cable television station, a satellite television station and/or the like. Further, the terminal is traditionally a set-top receiver which is in communication with and/or is connected to the content provider and the output device. As a result, the location of the terminal is stationary with respect to the content provider. Moreover, the terminal is associated with and/or is provided from the content provider.
The user purchases and/or obtains a subscription from the content provider to access, to obtain, to consume and/or to display the media programming provided by the content provider via the terminal. The subscription from the content provider is associated with, is assigned to and/or corresponds to the terminal of the user. Further, the subscription from the content provider is not associated with, is not assigned to and/or does not correspond to the user of the terminal and/or of the output device. As a result, the location of the terminal which the user may consume and/or may access the media programming is stationary with respect to the content provider.
The subscription from the content provider allows the user to access, to obtain, to consume and/or to display the media programming from the content provider via the output device and the terminal over a network. The network may be a cable network, a location satellite network and/or the like. The user may obtain and/or may identify a list of the media programming which may be accessible and/or may be consumable by the user based on the subscription of the user. The list of the media programming is only accessible on an electronic program guide (EPG) which is viewable and/or is displayed via the output device and the terminal at the location. The list of the media programming available to the terminal is based on the terminal. The user may select a media program from the list of media programming available via the EPG and the terminal.
The user may view, may experience and/or may display the media program via the terminal, the output device and/or the network. However, the media program selected by the user is only viewable and/or is only consumable at the location of the terminal via the output device. Additionally, the user is prevented from and/or is restricted from accessing and/or from consuming, the EPG, the list of the media programming and/or the media program with other terminals which are not associated with the subscription from the content provider. Moreover, the user is prevented from and/or is restricted from accessing and/or from consuming the media programming and/or the media program in other locations which are not associated with and/or are remote with respect to the terminal.
A need, therefore, exists for a system and a method for delivering media content based on a subscription. Additionally, a need exists for a system and a method for delivering media content based on a subscription which may be associated with, may be assigned to and/or may correspond to a user of the subscription. Further, a need exists for a system and a method for delivering media content based on a subscription which may access a list of the media content available based on the subscription via one or more terminals which may be remote with respect to each other. Still further, a need exists for a system and a method for delivering media content based on a subscription which may access an EPG to display the media content available based on the subscription via one or more terminals which may be remote with respect to each other. Moreover, a need exists for a system and a method for delivering media content based on a subscription which may consume a multimedia file based on a user of the subscription via one or more terminals which may be remote with respect to each other. Furthermore, a need exists for a system and/or a method for delivering media content based on a subscription which may store a multimedia file available based on the subscription of a user in a storage device associated with a user of the subscription.